TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE · TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ... Leonard Haas, Atlanta ... Lee M

434 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK

TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMERICANJEWISH COMMITTEE

OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

OFFICEKSPRESIDENT, LOUIS MARSHALL.

fCYRUS ADLER.VICE-PRESIDENTS, (( R 0 S E N W A L D .TREASURER, ISAAC W. BERNHEIM.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

CYRUS ADLER (1919), Chairman Philadelphia, Pa.ISAAC W. BERNHEIM (1918) Louisville, Ky.HARRY CUTLER (1920) Providence, R. I.SAMUEL DORF (1918) New York, N. Y.JACOB H. HOLLANDER (1920) Baltimore, Md.JULIAN W. MACK (1919) Chicago, 111.JUDAH L. MAGNES (1919) New York, N. Y.LOUIS MARSHALL (1920) New York, N. Y.JULIUS ROSENWALD (1918) Chicago, 111.JACOB H. SCHIFF (1919) New York, N. Y.ISADOR SOBEL (1920) Erie, Pa.OSCAR S. STRAUS (1918) New York, N. Y.CYRUS L. SULZBERGER (1918) New York, N. Y.MAYER SULZBERGER (1918) Philadelphia, Pa.A. LEO WEIL (1919) Pittsburgh, Pa.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY

HARRY SCHNEIDERMAN, 31 Union Sq., New York City.

Telephone, 3916 Stuyvesant.Cable Address, " WISHCOM, New York."

REPORT OF AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE 435

MEMBERS AND DISTRICTSDist. I: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina. 4

members: Leonard Haas, Atlanta, Ga. (1917);* Ceasar Cone,Greensboro, N. C. (1921); Montague Triest, Charleston, S. C.(1918).

Dist. II: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee. 3 members: OttoMarx, Birmingham, Ala. (1918); Levi Rothenberg, Meridian, Miss.(1920); Nathan Conn, Nashville, Tenn. (1918).

Dist. III.: Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.5 members: Leon M. Jacobs, Phoenix, Ariz. (1917); MauriceStern, New Orleans, La. (1919); J. H. Stolper, Muskogee, Okla.(1917); Isaac H. Kempner, Galveston, Tex. (1921).

Dist. IV: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri. 5 members:Morris M. Cohn, Little Rock, Ark. (1919); C. D. Spivak, Denver,Colo. (1918); Jacob Billikopf, Kansas City, Mo. (1920).

Dist. V: California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington.7 members: Max C. Sloss, San Francisco, Cal. (1921); HarrisWeinstock, San Francisco, Cal. (1917); Ben Selling, Portland, Ore.(1917).

Dist. VI: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska,North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming. 9 members:Henry M. Butzel, Detroit, Mich. (1919); Emanuel Cohen, Min-neapolis, Minn. (1920); Victor Rosewater, Omaha, Neb. (1919);Max Landauer, Milwaukee, Wis. (1917).

Dist. VII: Illinois. 8 members: A. G. Becker (1918); JamesDavis (1919); M. E. Greenebaum (1918); B. Horwich (1917);Julian W. Mack (1918); Julius Rosenwald (1920); Joseph Stolz(1919), all of Chicago, 111.; W. B. Woolner, Peoria, 111. (1921).

Dist. VIII: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia. 6 mem-bers: Samuel E. Rauh, Indianapolis, Ind. (1920) ; Isaac W. Bern-heim, Louisville., Ky. (1917); J. Walter Freibera\ Cincinnati, O.(1921); David Philipson, Cincinnati, O. (1919) ; Edward M. Baker,Cleveland, O. (1918); Louis Horkheimer, Wheeling, W. Va. (1920).

Dist. IX: City of Philadelphia. 6 members: Cyrus Adler(1918); Ephraim Lederer (1917); B. L. Levinthal (1920); LouisE. Levy (1919); M. Rosenbaum (1920); Mayer Sulzberger (1918).

Dist. X: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia.5 members: Charles Van Leer, Seaford, Del. (1919); FultonBrylawski, Washington, D. C. (1920); Jacob H. Hollander, Balti-more, Md. (1920) ; Henry S. Hutzler, Richmond, Va. (1917).

Dist. XI: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,Rhode Island, Vermont. 6 members: Isaac M. Ullman, NewHaven, Conn. (1921); Lee M. Friedman, Boston, Mass. (1917);Harry Cutler, Providence, R. I. (1921).

Dist. XII: New York City. 25 members: Isaac Allen (1917);Joseph Barondess (1919); Elias A. Cohen (1919); Samuel Dorf


(1917); Julius J. Dukas (1919); Mrs. Wm. Einstein (1918); Abra-ham Erlanger (1917); Harry Fischel (1917); William Fischman(1917); Israel Friedlaender (1919); Henry M. Goldfogle (1918);Samuel I. Hyman (1918); Leon Kamaiky (1917); Jacob Kohn(1917); David Kornblueh (1917); Herbert H. Lehman (1918);Leo Lerner (1918); Adolph Lewisohn (1918); William Lieber-mann (1919); J. L. Magnes (1918); Louis Marshall (1917); H.Masliansky (1918); Jacob Massel (1918); H. Pereira Mendes(1918); Eugene Meyer, Jr. (1919); Leon Moisseiff (1918); LeonSanders (1917); Jacob H. Schiff (1919); Bernard Semel (1919);Joseph Silverman (1917); I. M. Stettenheim (1917); Cyrus L.Sulzberger (1917); Israel Unterberg (1919); Felix M. Warburg(1918); Jacob Wertheim (1919).

Dist. XIII: New York (exclusive of the City). 3 members:Simon Fleischmann, Buffalo (1920); Benjamin M. Marcus, Olean(1921); Abram J. Katz, Rochester (1918).

Dist. XIV: New Jersey and Pennsylvania (exclusive of Phila-delphia). 4 members: Felix Fuld, Newark, N. J. (1919); IsaacW. Frank, Pittsburgh, Pa. (1917); Isador Sobel, Erie, Pa. (1921);A. Leo Weil, Pittsburgh, Pa. (1919).

Members-at-Large: Herman Bernstein (1917); Nathan Bijur(1917); Irving Lehman (1917); Oscar S. Straus (1917); all ofNew York City;* Moses R. Walter, Baltimore, Md. (1917); AlbertD. Lasker, Chicago, 111. (1917); Jacob M. Loeb, Chicago, 111. (1917);S. Marcus Fechheimer, Cincinnati, O. (1917); Herbert Frieden-wald, Denver, Colo. (1917); Albert W. Weil, New Haven, Conn.(1917).

DELEGATES FROM ORGANIZATIONSLee K. Frankel, National Conference of Jewish Charities.Samuel C. Lamport, United Synagogue of America.

* Deceased.


TENTH ANNUAL MEETING

NOVEMBER 12, 1916

The Tenth Annual Meeting of the American Jewish Com-mittee was held at the Hotel Astor, New York City, on Sunday,November 12, 1916. Louis Marshall, Esq., presided, and thefollowing members were present: Cyrus Adler, Isaac Allen,Isaac W. Bernheim, Herman Bernstein, Nathan Bijur, FultonBrylawski, Nathan Cohn, Harry Cutler, Samuel Dorf, JuliusJ. Dukas, Abraham Erlanger, S. Marcus Fechheimer, HarryFischel, William Fischman, Isaac W. Frank, Lee K. Frankel,Henry M. Goldfogle, Samuel I. Hyman, Leon Kamaiky, AbramJ. Katz, Jacob Kohn, David Kornblueh, Samuel C. Lamport,Herbert H. Lehman, Leo Lerner, B. L. Levinthal, Louis E.Levy, William Liebermann, Julian W. Mack, H. Masliansky,Jacob Massel, H. Pereira Mendes, Leon Moisseiff, Julius Bosen-wald, Jacob H. Schiff, Bernard Semel, Joseph Silverman,Isador Sobel, Joseph Stolz, Oscar S. Straus, Cyrus L. Sulz-berger, Mayer Sulzberger, Montague Triest, Isaac M. "Oilman,Israel Unterberg, Charles Van Leer, Felix M. Warburg, A. LeoWeil, Alfred W. Weil and W. B. Woolner.

Eegrets at their inability to attend were received from:Joseph Barondess, Henry M. Butzel, Emanuel Cohen, MorrisM. Cohn, James Davis, Simon Fleischmann, J. Walter Frei-berg, Herbert Friedenwald, Lee M. Friedman, M. E. Greene-baum, Leonard Haas, Jacob H. Hollander, Bernard Horwich,Max Landauer, Albert D. Lasker, Ephraim Lederer, DavidPhilipson, Victor Eosewater, Ben. Selling, C. D. Spivak,Maurice Stern, and Moses K. Walter.


EEPORT OP THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee submitted the following report:

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE :

In accordance With the provisions of the By-Laws, yourExecutive Committee renders herewith a report of its pro-ceedings during the past year, during which time your Com-mittee concerned itself particularly with the following matters:

1. An endeavor to bring about cooperation with other Jewishorganizations in the matter of a Congress of the Jews in Amer-ica for the purpose of deciding upon the best steps which couldbe taken to ameliorate the condition of our brethren in bel-ligerent lands.

2. The publication of the book " The Jews in the EasternWar Zone," containing authentic and verified information withregard to the effect of the war upon our brethren in EasternEurope and in Palestine.

3. The preparation of a memorandum of the discriminatorylaws and practices in countries in which our brethren are sub-ject to civil, political, and religious disabilities.

4. The submission to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XV, of apetition praying him to exercise his influence to ameliorate thecondition of the Jews in the eastern war zone, in so far as thiscondition was due to the unfriendly attitude of the Poles whoare in the main members of the Roman Catholic Church.

5. Collecting information about events affecting the Jews invarious belligerent countries and especially with regard to thematter of the negotiation of a new treaty of commerce betweenthe United States and Russia.

6. Opposition to the enactment of restrictive immigrationlegislation.


A detailed report follows:

MEETINGS

Meetings have been held on the following dates: November14, December 12, 1915; January 9, February 13, March 12,April 9, May 13, May 14, October 15, November 11, 1916.

DEATHS AND EESIGNATIONS

Your Committee reports with great sorrow the death ofMeyer Friedman, a representative of the Central Jewish Coun-cil of Denver, Colorado.

Your Committee accepted the resignations of Dr. HarryFriedenwald, representative from Baltimore, Md., and Prof.Felix Frankfurter, of Cambridge, Mass., a member-at-large.The resignation of Prof. Israel Friedlaender of New York Citywas referred to the Jewish Community (Kehillah) of that city,as he was a member of the Committee by virtue of his member-ship in the Executive Committee of the New York Community.

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE

During the past year, in view of the great anxieties which theJews of America and the entire world were experiencing, yourCommittee deemed it advisable to call a special meeting ofthe Committee in order to lay before it matters with regard towhich your Committee desired your advice and counsel. Thisspecial meeting was held in New York City on May 14, 1916.As the preceding six months were the most active, your Com-mittee considers it necessary to repeat the report submitted atthe special meeting, supplementing it by a recital of suchother matters as have engaged the attention of the Committeesince that time.


JEWISH CONGRESS

At your annual meeting on November 13, 1915, seriousattention was given to the advisability of the Committee's co-operation with other Jewish organizations in the calling of aCongress of the Jews of America for the purpose of consideringthe condition of our brethren in belligerent lands with a viewto deciding upon steps to be taken to ameliorate their situa-tion. After a long and earnest discussion, the Committeeadopted the following resolution:

That the American Jewish Committee join with othernational Jewish organizations in the calling of a conferencefor the purpose of considering the rights of Jews in bellig-erent lands and in Roumania, and that it take steps to calla congress on a democratic basis after the termination ofhostilities and at such place and in such manner as to itmay seem best for the securing of these rights.

In accordance with the foregoing resolution, your ExecutiveCommittee conferred with the representatives of the JewishCongress Organization Committee and the National Work-men's Committee on Jewish Eights, and offered to join withthem in the calling of a conference if it were distinctly under-stood that such conference be convened for the purpose ofmaking arrangements for a congress to be held after the ter-mination of hostilities. In order to meet the objection thatsuch postponement of the Congress might result in delay whichmight be fatal to the effectiveness of the Congress, your Com-mittee stated that the American Jewish Committee would haveno objection if arrangements for the Congress were madeimmediately, but that it could not participate in any actionunless it were understood in advance that the Congress itselfwould not be convened until after the termination of hostilities,


in accordance with the letter and spirit of the resolutionadopted by you at your annual meeting in November.

The negotiations with the Congress Organization Committeeseemed to be progressing satisfactorily when, without consult-ing your Committee and while the negotiations were still pend-ing, the Congress Organization Committee issued a call for aconference to be held in Philadelphia on March 26, 1916, forthe purpose of making arrangements for a Congress to be heldat such time as the conference should decide. Your Committeereceived an invitation to send delegates to this conference, butinasmuch as the condition set forth in the resolution adoptedby you, namely, that a Congress should be called after the ter-mination of hostilities, was not met in the plans of the CongressOrganization Committee, your Committee was constrained todecline the invitation of the Congress Organization Com-mittee.

Similar action was taken by the National Workmen's Com-mittee on Jewish Eights which also had certain specific objec-tions to the plans of the Congress Organization Committeeand whose objections had also not been met.

The conference called by the Congress Organization Com-mittee was held in Philadelphia on March 26.

Your Committee referred this entire matter to you for con-sideration at your special meeting, pointing out that thereseemed to be three courses open to the Committee:

1. To abandon the three main specifications of the actiontaken at the annual meeting;

(a) The time for the convening of the congress.(b) That the organizations represented be national organi-

sations.


(c) That the discussion be limited to the rights of Jews inbelligerent lands and in Roumania.

2. That immediate steps be taken by the American JewishCommittee to convene the Conference of National Organiza-tions upon the basis originally proposed by i t ;

3. That the American Jewish Committee continue to actas a separate and independent body, and endeavor to securerights for Jews in the belligerent lands and Roumania.

At the special meeting, you adopted the following resolu-tion :

That the Executive Committee be authorized to proceedin conjunction with such other national Jewish organiza-tions as are prepared to unite with it in issuing a call forthat purpose to convene a conference of national Jewishorganizations at some time during June, 1916, at a place,and on a basis of representation agreed upon, for the purposeof considering suitable measures to secure full rights forthe Jews of all lands and the abrogation of all laws dis-criminating against them, it being understood that thephrase " full rights" is to be deemed to include civil,religious, and political rights, and in addition, whereverseparate group rights are recognized in any land, the con-ferring upon the Jews thereof of such rights, if desired bythem.

In accordance with the provisions of this resolution, yourCommittee invited the following organizations to join it in thecalling of the Conference contemplated by the resolution:

The Central Conference of American Rabbis,The Council of Jewish Women,The Independent Order Free Sons of Israel,The National Workmen's Committee on Jewish Rights,The Order B'rith Abraham,The Union of American Hebrew Congregations,The United Synagogue of America,

REPORT OF\ AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE 443

The following call was issued:

NEW YOKK CITY

June 16, 1916.Gentlemen:

The organizations subscribing hereto have agreed to con-vene a conference of national Jewish organizations, at theHotel Astor, in the City-of New York, on Sunday, July 16,1916, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon of that day, for the pur-pose of considering measures, including the discussion ofpropositions that may be presented relative to the organiza-tion of a Jewish Congress, to secure full rights for the Jewsof all lands and the abrogation of all laws discriminatingagainst them; it being understood that the phrase " fullr ights" is to be deemed to include civil, religious, andpolitical rights, and, in addition thereto, wherever thevarious peoples of any land are recognized as havingseparate group rights, the conferring upon the Jews thereofof such rights, if desired by them.

Appended hereto is the list of organizations invited andthe number of delegates allotted to them respectively. Youwill note that your organization is entitled to — delegates.Please be good enough to inform us whether your organiza-tion will take part in this conference, and if so, who itsrepresentatives are to be, addressing your reply, for mutualconvenience, to the office of the American Jewish Com-mittee, 356 Second Avenue, New York City, on or beforeJuly 10, 1916.

Very sincerely yours,THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE,

THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS,

THE COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN,THE INDEPENDENT ORDER FREE SONS OF ISRAEL,THE NATIONAL WORKMEN'S COMMITTEE ON JEWISH

RIGHTS,

THE ORDER B'RITH ABRAHAM,THE UNION OF AMERICAN HEBREW CONGREGATIONS,THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA,


The following organizations were invited to send the numherof delegates indicated:

Name Number of Delegates

American Jewish. Committee 7American Jewish Historical Society 1Arbeiter Ring 7Central Conference of American Rabbis 4Central Verband of the Bund 1Council of Jewish Women 2Federation of American Zionists 7Federation of Galician and Bukowinian Jews 5Federation of Jewish Farmers 1Federation of Oriental Jews 2Federation of Roumanian Jews 1Federation of Roumanian Jews 1Federation of Russian-Polish Hebrews 2Hadassah 1Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society..' 4Hebrew Union College 1Independent Order B'nai B'rith 7Independent Order B'rith Abraham 7Independent Order B'rith Sholom 5Independent Order Free Sons of Israel 3Independent Order Free Sons of Judah 3Independent Western Star Order 3Intercollegiate Menorah Association 1Jewish Chautauqua Society 1Jewish Congress Organization Committee 7Jewish National Workers Alliance 2Jewish Publication Society 2Jewish Socialist Federation 2Jewish Socialist-Territorialist Labor Party 2Jewish Socialist Labor Party Poale Zion 2Jewish Theological Seminary 1Mizrahi of America 2National Association of Jewish Social Workers 1


Name Number of Delegates

National Conference of Jewish Charities 2National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods 2National Workmen's Committee on Jewish Rights 7Order B'rith Abraham 7Order Knights of Joseph 2Order Knights of Zion 2Order Sons of Zion 2Progressive Order of the West 2Union of American Hebrew Congregations 7Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations 3United Hebrew Trades 7United Orthodox Rabbis 2United Synagogue of America 3

The following organizations accepted this invitation, andsent the representatives named to the conference:

AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE: Louis Marshall, Judge MayerSulzberger, Judge Julian W. Mack, Dr. J. L. Magnes, Louis E.Levy, Sol M. Stroock, Israel Unterberg.

AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY: Hon. Oscar S. Straus.ARBEITER RING: S. Bulgatch, A. Epstein, S. Epstein, Hon.

Meyer London, M. Perlovitz, A. S. Sax, A. Zuker.CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF AMERICAN RABBIS: Rev. Dr. William

Rosenau, Rev. Dr. David Philipson, Rev. Dr. Samuel Schulman,Rev. Dr. Henry Berkowitz.

CENTRAL VERBAND OF THE BUND : Dr. M. Kopelson.COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN: Mrs. Nathan Glauber, Miss Rose

Brenner.FEDERATION OF JEWISH FARMERS: Dr. Paul Abelson.FEDERATION OF ORIENTAL JEWS: Joseph Gedalecia, Albert J.

Amateau.FEDERATION OF ROUMANIAN JEWS : Dr. P. A. Siegelstein.HEBREW SHELTERING AND IMMIGRANT AID SOCIETY : Jacob Massel,

Herman Bernstein, Max Meyerson, B. Shelvin.HEBREW UNION COLLEGE: Dr. Kaufman Kohler.


INDEPENDENT OEDEK B'EITH ABRAHAM: Leon Sanders, Max L.Hollander, David Goldberg, Max Silverstein, Bernard Welt, JacobClark, Adolph Stern.

INDEPENDENT OEDEE FREE SONS OF ISRAEL: Emil Tauslg, SolonJ. Liebeskind, M. Angelo Elias.

INDEPENDENT ORDER FREE SONS OF JUDAH: Samuel Goldstein,Sigmund Fodor, Max Gottsegen.

JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY: Horace Stern, Simon Miller.JEWISH SOCIALIST FEDERATION: Dr. B. Hoffman, B. Vladeck.JEWISH SOCIALIST TEREITORIALIST LABOR PARTY: J. Budish, M.

Regalsky.JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY: Dr. Cyrus Adler.NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF JEWISH CHARITIES: Dr. Lee K. Frankel,

Louis H. Levin.ORDER B'RITH ABRAHAM: Hon. Henry M. Goldfogle, Samuel

Kanrich, Samuel Dorf, Charles Dushkind, David Goldstein, MichaelV. Rosenberg, Louis Kram.

ORDER KNIGHTS OF JOSEPH: Isadore Liederman.NATIONAL FEDERATION OF TEMPLE SISTERHOODS: Mrs. J. Walter

Freiberg, Mrs. David Philipson.NATIONAL WORKMEN'S COMMITTEE ON JEWISH RIGHTS: Sholom

Asch, M. Gillis, Dr. M. Goldfarb, M. Katz, M. Olgin, Jacob Panken,Dr. Frank F. Rosenblatt.

UNION OF AMERICAN HEBREW CONGREGATIONS: J. Walter Frei-berg, Col. Harry Cutler, Edward L. Heinsheimer, Max J. Kohler,Max B. May, Hon. Simon W. Rosendale, Joseph Wiesenfeld.

UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS: Rev. Dr. BernardDrachman, Morris Engelman, Albert Lucas.

UNITED HEBREW TRADES: A. Back, S. Goldovsky, S. Guskin,H. Land, S. Metz, M. Pine, S. Shore.

UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF AMERICA: Dr. Solomon Solis Cohen, Prof.Mordecai M. Kaplan, Rabbi Jacob Kohn.

The Congress Organization Committee declined the invita-tion, but stated that it would be willing to send three repre-sentatives to present its views to the Conference. An invita-tion to send three representatives was extended to this Com-


mittee, and Justice Louis D. Brandeis, Judge Hugo Pam, andLeon Sanders, Esq., came as the representatives of the CongressOrganization Committee, and presented the views of that bodyto the Conference.

The Conference adopted the following resolutions:1. This Conference desires to bring about united action,

in the first place among the Jews of America and thenby the Jews of the world, to secure full rights for the Jewsof all lands, and the abrogation of all laws discriminatingagainst them; it being understood that the phrase " fullrights " is deemed to include civil, religious, and politicalrights, and, in addition thereto, wherever the various peoplesof any land are recognized as having separate group rights,the conferring upon the Jews thereof of such rights, ifdesired by them.

2. For this sole purpose, this Conference favors the callingof a Congress of the Jews of America.

3. This Conference gives its Executive Committee, to bechosen hereafter, full powers to act for the accomplishmentof the aims set forth in Paragraph 1, and for this purpose,it gives full power to its Executive Committee to confer andco-operate with all other organizations of American Jewsworking for the accomplishment of these aims, includingfull power as to the preparations for the calling of saidCongress of American Jews, its time and place and themethod of electing delegates and its constitution in general.

4. It is expressly understood that nothing herein con-tained shall be deemed to affect the autonomy of any exist-ing national Jewish organization.

5. As the object specified in the foregoing resolution isone as to which there is entire unanimity among all Jews,this Conference favors the calling of a Congress of the Jewsof America for the sole purpose of taking appropriate actionto accomplish such object

6. That it is the sense of this Conference that steps onbehalf of the Jewish people in the lands of oppression be

15


undertaken forthwith, and that the Executive Committeeof this Conference is hereby instructed to act accordinglyand to obtain, if possible, the co-operation of other bodies.

7. That there be recommended to the Executive Committeethe consideration of the question of establishing an institu-tion for the purpose of rehabilitating Jewish life in theeastern war zone and Palestine after the war.

8. That the Executive Committee may, in its discretion,submit such questions as it may deem necessary to theDelegates and may call special meetings of the Delegatesfor this purpose, provided that reasonable notice of suchspecial meetings be given.

9. That this organization shall be known as the Confer-ence of American National Jewish Organizations.

10. That an Executive Committee of twenty-five, includ-ing the Chairman of this meeting, be appointed by the chairfrom among the Delegates to this Conference.

11. That the Executive Committee is hereby empoweredto carry out the purpose of this Conference and to add to itsnumber as it may deem proper from time to time.

12. That such officers as may be required be chosen by theExecutive Committee from among its number.

The Executive Committee appointed by the Chairman inaccordance with the resolution of the Conference follows: Dr.Solomon Solis Cohen, Col. Harry Cutler, Samuel Dorf, Eev.Dr. Bernard Drachman, Charles Dushkind, S. Epstein, J. Wal-ter Freiberg, Dr. M. Goldfarb, Mrs. Janet S. Harris, M. Katz,Louis E. Levy, Judge Julian W. Mack, Eev. Dr. David Philip-son, Dr. J. L. Magnes, Louis Marshall, Jacob Massel, JacobPanken, M. Pine, Dr. Frank F. Eosenblatt, Eev. Dr. SamuelSchulman, Max Silverstein, Mrs. Abram Simon, Hon. Oscar S.Straus, Emil Tausig, B. Vladeck.

Immediately upon its organization, this Executive Com-mittee appointed a sub-Committee to confer with the CongressOrganization Committee, with a view, if possible, of arriving


at a plan of action and union of forces. After several confer-ences, the representatives of both the Congress OrganizationCommittee and the Conference of National Jewish Organiza-tions agreed to submit an identical report to their respectiveconstituencies. This report was adopted by the Conference ofNational Jewish Organizations, but was rejected on a referen-dum vote by a small majority of the delegates of the Phila-delphia Conference voting thereon.

Further negotiations between committees representing thetwo bodies followed, and changes were made in the reportwhich was thereupon resubmitted to both bodies, by whom theamended report has been confirmed with practical unanimity.The call for the Congress thus developed is as follows:

By virtue of the authority vested in us, as the ExecutiveCommittee of the American Jewish Congress, the Jews ofAmerica are earnestly requested to select representatives toan American Jewish Congress which shall meet aton exclusively for the purpose of defining methodswhereby, in co-operation with the Jews of the world, fullrights may be secured for the Jews of all lands and all lawsdiscriminating against them may be abrogated, it beingunderstood that the phrase " full rights" is deemed toinclude:

1. Civil, religious, and political rights, and in additionthereto,

2. Wherever the various peoples of any land are or may berecognized as having rights as such, the conferring uponthe Jewish people of the land affected, o'f like rights, ifdesired by them, as determined and ascertained by theCongress.

3. The securing and protection of Jewish rights in Pales-tine.

No resolution shall be introduced, considered or actedupon at the Congress which shall in any way purport or


tend to commit the Congress as a body, or any of its dele-gates or any of the communities or organizations whichshall be represented therein, to the adoption, recognition orendorsement of any general theory or philosophy of Jewishlife, or any theoretical principle of a racial, political, eco-nomic or religious character, or which shall involve theperpetuation of such Congress.

The calling and holding of the Congress shall in nomanner affect the autonomy of any existing American Jew-ish organization, but in so far as the Executive Committeeselected by such Congress shall take action for the securingof Jewish rights as defined in the call for such Congress,the activities of such Executive Committee shall, duringthe period of its existence, be regarded as having precedenceover those of any other organization which shall participatein such Congress.

The Congress is to select an Executive Committee which,in cooperation with the Jews of other lands, shall strivefor the realization of the objects for which the Congress iscalled; such Committee shall continue in office until theexpiration of one year after the adoption of a Treaty ofPeace whereby the present European War shall be con-cluded, and at the end of that period, or sooner if necessary,such Committee shall reconvene the Congress and renderto it a final report of its activities.

The Delegates are to be elected in the following manner:

The further conditions agreed to are:The general principle with respect to the selection of

Delegates to the Congress, approved by the PhiladelphiaConference,, is accepted subject to such modifications asmay be required in order to make such principle effective,but it is expressly understood that provision will also bemade for the selection of representatives by the variousnational Jewish organizations which shall desire to par-ticipate in such Congress on such a basis of apportionmentand in accordance with such definition as to what shallbe deemed to constitute a national Jewish organization, as


shall be adopted by the Committee charged with the callingand organization of the Congress, and which is to be knownas the Executive Committee, but the representation of thenational organizations as such shall be 25 per cent of all theDelegates to the Congress.

The national Jewish organizations which shall thus beentitled to representation, shall be permitted to select theirDelegates in such manner as they may themselves decide.

The Committee issuing the call shall be known as theExecutive Committee of the American Jewish Congress.

The Executive Committee shall consider the advisabilityof placing on the agenda of the Congress the subject of theeconomic reconstruction of the Jewish communities in thewar zone.

As a result of the vote on the Referendum submitted August27, 1916, the following propositions have been adopted andconstitute part of the agreement:

1. The Congress shall be held at such time before the ces-sation of the present European war as shall be fixed by theExecutive Committee of the American Jewish Congress.

2. The Executive Committee shall be increased to 140 bythe addition of 2 members to be selected by the present Com-mittee and by 70 members to be selected by the Conferenceof the National Jewish Organizations.

" T H E JEWS IN THE EASTERN WAR ZONE "

In order to get at the facts with regard to the condition of theJews in the Eastern war zone about which so many conflict-ing reports had appeared, your Committee, at the beginning ofAugust, 1915, undertook an investigation of this matter. Theresults of this investigation were so significant and were so littleknown to the general American public, that your Committeedecided to publish them in book form. Accordingly, an editionof 2500 copies of the book, followed by a second edition of


22,500 copies, entitled " The Jews in the Eastern War Zone,"was published and distributed to the press and among a largenumber of influential individuals, including the President ofthe United States, Members of the Cabinet and of both Housesof Congress. The book was received with a great deal ofinterest, and has served to place in the hands of the Americanpublic a statement of facts derived from non-partisan andauthentic sources.

MEMORANDUM ON JEWISH DISABILITIES

Your Committee feels that the book on the Jews in theEastern War Zone has served to acquaint the public with thepresent situation of our brethren in the countries of EasternEurope. This situation, however, is the result of the excep-tional condition of the Jews in times of peace, and your Com-mittee feels that in order to be in position to appeal to the senseof justice of the nations for the abolition of this exceptionalstatus of the Jews in some of the belligerent countries, it wouldbe indispensable to have an authoritative compilation of thediscriminatory laws and practices of countries in which theJews are subject to civil, political, and religious disabilities.Your Committee is therefore having a memorandum preparedon these lines.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE VATICAN

Ever since the beginning of the Polish boycott against theJews, your Committee has sought an opportunity to securefor it the attention of Eoman Catholic prelates, in order thatthey might bring their influence to bear upon the Poles, witha view to the cessation of the boycott and of the atrocitieswhich often accompanied it.


The study of the condition of the Jews in Eussia since theoutbreak of the war convinced your Committee that a greatmany of the sufferings of the Jews were the result of thisboycott and of the general unfriendly attitude of the Poles.

In December last, your Committee, having an opportunityto bring the facts directly to the attention of His Holiness,Pope Benedict XV, submitted to him a copy of the Committee'sbook, " The Jews in the Eastern War Zone," with a petitionpraying him to exert his powerful influence to ameliorate con-ditions. This petition called forth a reply from the Holy Seewhich is a virtual encyclical against anti-Jewish prejudices,and has been followed by directions to the Catholic clergy ofPoland admonishing them to use their best endeavors to put anend to the persecution which has prevailed. The petition andthe reply of the Vatican have been made public in both Europeand America, and are given here.

THE PETITIONNew York, December 30,1915.

Your Holiness:The petitioners, who are citizens of the United States of

America and adherents of the Jewish faith, have learnedwith increasing horror of the unspeakable cruelties andhardships visited upon their co-religionists in various bel-ligerent lands since the outbreak of the present world-conflict. Far beyond the sufferings which this calamity hasinflicted upon those of other faiths, and in addition to theravages and destruction occasioned by the clash of the con-tending armies to all who come within the sphere of theirhostilities, the Jews have been marked for especial persecu-tion, and have been subjected to oppressive measures notborne by their compatriots of other creeds. Passion andprejudice have been fomented against our unhappy breth-ren, frequently by those who bear the same political al-


legiance, until their lot has ceased to be endurable. In someof the lands where they have long resided their veryneighbors are bent upon their annihilation, practisingagainst them the most refined cruelty, and in many instancesby means of an economic boycott condemning them to literalstarvation. We submit herewith ascertained facts whichtell but in small part the hideous truth.

Fully persuaded that had Your Holiness been acquaintedwith these facts the Holy See would at once have exercisedthe profound moral, ethical, and religious influence withwhich the Roman Catholic Church is endowed, upon thosewho regard Your Holiness as their Shepherd, but who haveunfortunately participated in this persecution, with all dueveneration we now approach the Supreme Pontiff for succorin this the bitter hour of our need, knowing the exemplaryhumanity for which Your Holiness is justly distinguished.It is our sincere prayer that the occasion may be deemed afitting one for resort to the authority vested in the Sovereignof the great Roman Catholic Hierarchy, to urge His Cardi-nals, Archbishops, Bishops, and Priests to admonish theirflocks to hold in abhorrence these acts of persecution, ofprejudice and of cruelty, which have overwhelmed ourunfortunate brethren.

We recall with admiration and gratitude that on manyoccasions in the past some of the revered predecessors ofYour Holiness have under like conditions extended protec-tion to those of the Jewish faith, in the interest of right andjustice. Appreciating the transcendent importance whichthe entire civilized world attaches to any utterance from soexalted a source of morality and wisdom as that which YourHoliness represents, we confidently express the hope thattimely action be taken by the Vatican, to the end that thesufferings under which millions of our brethren in faith arenow weighed down may be terminated by an act of thathumanity to which Your Holiness is so passionately devoted,and that the cruel intolerance and the unjust prejudicewhich have been aroused against them may forever vanish


before this glorious exercise of Your Supreme Moral andSpiritual Power.

We beg Your Holiness to believe us to be,Your most respectful petitioners,

THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE,Louis MARSHALL, President.

JACOB H. SCHDTF, ISAAC W. BEBNHEIM,

CYBUS ADLEB, SAMUEL DORF,

JULIUS ROSENWALD, ISADOE SOBEL,JACOB HOLLANDER, MAYER SULZBEEGEE,

A. LEO WEIL, JULIAN W. MACK,

OSCAE S. STRAUS, HAEBT CUTLEB,J. L. MAGNES, CYRUS L. SULZBEEGER,

Executive Committee.

THE VATICAN'S EEPLY

SECEETABY OF STATE TO HIS HOLINESSFROM THE VATICAN,

No. 13,726 February 9, 1916.Gentlemen:

The Supreme Pontiff has with interest taken notice of theletter bearing date December 30, 1915, which you have beenpleased to address to him in the name of the three millionJewish citizens of the United States of America, in orderto communicate to him generally the treatment to whichyour coreligionists complain that they have been exposedin various regions, and at the same time you have requestedhim to interpose the weight of his supreme moral andspiritual power, in order that these sufferings may be ter-minated by an act of that humanity to which the HolyFather is so passionately devoted.

The Supreme Pontiff is unable to express himself concern-ing the special facts referred to in the memorandum sub-mitted with your letter, but in principle, as the head of theCatholic Church, which, faithful to its divine doctrine andto its most glorious traditions, considers all men as breth-


ren and teaches them to love one another, he will not ceaseto inculcate the observance among individuals as amongnations of the principles of natural right, and to reproveevery violation of them. This right should be observed andrespected in relation to the Children of Israel as it shouldbe as to all men, for it would not conform to justice and toreligion itself to derogate therefrom solely because of adifference of religious faith.

Moreover, in his paternal heart, pained by the spectacle ofthe existing horrible war, the Supreme Pontiff feels in thismoment more deeply than ever the necessity that all menshall recollect that they are brothers and that their salva-tion lies in the return of the law of love, which is the law ofthe Gospels. He also desires to interest to this noble endall who, especially by reason of the sacred attributes oftheir pastoral ministrations, are able to bring efficient aidto this important result.

In the meantime His Holiness rejoices in the unity whichin civil matters exists in the United States of Americaamong the members of different faiths and which con-tributes so powerfully to the peaceful prosperity of yourgreat country. He prays to God that peace may at lengthappear for the happiness of that humanity of which youtruly say the Holy Father is the guardian.

Accept, gentlemen, the assurances of my most distin-guished and devoted sentiments.

(Signed) P. Cardinal GASPABRI.To Mr. Louis Marshall, President,

and to the Members of the Executive Committeeof The American Jewish Committee.

In addition we understand that our publication " The Jewsin the Eastern War Zone " has been translated into Italian andFrench, and that 10,000 copies of each of these translationshave been circulated in Europe.

The publication of this correspondence called forth universalcomment of a favorable nature, and even the notorious French


anti-Semite, Edouard Drumont, editor of La Libre Parole,published the following significant statement:

In the midst of the frightful plague which has visited thepopulations of Europe, Israel has raised a cry of distress,and this cry has reached even to the steps of the Pontificalthrone.

The Jews of the United States have addressed a ferventappeal to St. Peter in order to heg him to pronounce, inhis paternal goodness, the words of peace and humanitywhich would put an end to the sufferings of their persecutedbrethren.

The response of Rome has been what it should havebeen—cordial, charitable, and consoling.

One cannot help feeling a sentiment of pity for thosewho suffer, no matter who they are, and we are not per-mitted to doubt the sincerity of the declarations expressedby the American Jewish Committee. We are rather inclinedto recognize the wisdom of its initiative in rendering suchrespectful homage to the wisdom and the sense of justiceof the head of the Christian Church.

These citizens of the United States, who have given proofof such splendid solidarity on behalf of all the scatteredmembers of their race, appear to me to be more inspiredthan all those monarchs, all those leaders of peoples, whoare tainted with the general skepticism and who havedenied the moral force of the Church. Those who governhave refused to listen to the representative of Christ onearth, the man who, without a kingdom and without anarmy and, from the temporal point of view, despoiled ofeverything, as he is, still remains a sovereign.

No appeal has ever been made to this sovereign in allthe peace congresses which have ended in the presentcatastrophe. Never have the heads of kingdoms, of empires,or republics among the civilized nations, whose institu-tions are based upon the doctrine of Christianity—neverhave they understood that the Pope alone was qualified topreside at a universal peace congress.


By a strange phenomenon, those who, in their belief andin their religion are furthest removed from Christian doc-trine, now ask the help of this beneficent and world-wideinfluence.

The Jews of New York did not fail in their address to St.Peter to say that they recalled " with admiration andgratitude" that on numerous occasions in the past, thePapacy has shown a benevolent attitude toward the mem-bers of the Jewish faith.

They can, indeed, recall long persecutions, innumerableyears full of intense anxiety, always threatened by perilsjust as agonizing. They cannot forget that during morethan 1200 years one man alone has constantly spoken ontheir behalf, has declared without cessation that theirliberty of conscience must be respected, has intervened withkings in order to protect the persecuted, has given theexample of tolerance by according to the Jews in hisdomains, better treatment than was accorded to them every-where else. This man, always equal in his goodness, thisman who never dies, is the Vicar of Jesus Christ.

On every page of history will be found traces of the pro-tection extended to the Jews by the Papacy. In the seventhcentury, St. Gregory defended them, and protected themthroughout the entire extent of the Christian world.Alexander II warmly congratulated the bishops of Spainwho had promulgated measures of clemency toward thepersecuted Jews. Gregory IX interceded for them inFrance, in England, in Spain; he forbade, under penaltyof excommunication, the prohibition of their festivals.Clement VI accorded them an asylum at Avignon. NicholasII wrote to the Inquisition ordering it not to force them toembrace Christianity.

RUSSIA

Your Committee has noted the frequently recurring rumorsthat the United States was about to negotiate a new treaty ofcommerce with Russia. Statements have appeared to the effect


that such a treaty can be negotiated without touching uponthe question which led to the abrogation of the old treaty of1832, namely, equal treatment for all American citizens with-out distinction of race, creed, or origin. In view of theserumors, your Committee deems it important to call attention tothe pledges adopted by the most important political partiesduring the past year which reaffirm the position taken by themin 1912.

The following plank was a part of the platform of the Eepub-lican Party:

We reiterate our unqualified approval of the action takenin December, 1911, by the President and Congress to securewith Russia, as with other countries, a treaty that willrecognize the absolute right of expatriation and prevent alldiscrimination of whatever kind between American citizens,whether native born or alien, and regardless of race, religion,or previous political allegiance. We renew the pledge toobserve this principle and to maintain the right of asylum,which is neither to be surrendered nor restricted, and weunite in the cherished hope that the war which is nowdesolating the world may speedily end, with a complete andlasting restoration of brotherhood among the nations ofthe earth and the assurance of full equal rights, civil andreligious, to all men in every land.

The Democratic Party adopted the following plank:We again declare the policy that the sacred rights of

American citizenship must be preserved at home and abroad,and that no treaty with any other Government shallreceive the sanction of our Government which does notexpressly recognize the absolute equality of all our citizensirrespective of race, creed, or previous nationality, andwhich does not guarantee the right of expatriation. Theconstitutional rights of American citizens should protectthem on our borders and go with them throughout the


world, and those of them who may reside or have propertyin any foreign country are entitled to, and must be given, thefull protection of our Government. At the earliest practicalopportunity our country should strive earnestly for peaceamong the warring nations of Europe and seek to bringabout the adoption of the fundamental principle of justiceand humanity, that all men shall enjoy equality of rightand freedom from discrimination in lands wherein theydwell.

The Progressive Party adopted the following plank:

As members of an international community, we are sub-ject to certain basic duties:

To secure the rights and equal treatment of our citizens,native or naturalized, on land and sea, without regard torace, creed, or nativity.

Whatever our country can legitimately do to attain peacefor war-stricken Europe and to aid in the procurement ofequal rights, without discrimination because of race orcreed, to all men in all lands should be done.

It is interesting to note that the New York Chamber of Com-merce, one of the most influential commercial bodies in thiscountry, following a discussion with regard to the negotiationof commercial treaties with Nicaragua, Colombia, and Russia,recently adopted the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Chamber of Commerce of the State ofNew York favors the enactment of Commercial Treaties atas early a date as practicable, with Nicaragua, United Statesof Colombia, and Russia, if such treaties can be negotiatedwithout departing from those principles of equality andjustice for which the Government of the United States aimsto stand in relation to all its citizens and to all foreignnations.


Recently your Committee learned that a report was currentin Petrograd that our Ambassador to Russia, the Hon. David R.Francis, had received instructions from the Government to takesteps to negotiate " a commercial treaty with the RussianGovernment, if necessary, without taking any account of theJewish grievances." Your Committee communicated this in-formation to our Department of State, and was informed bythe Department that there could be absolutely no foundationfor the statement accredited to Ambassador Francis, sinceno commercial treaty with Russia can possibly be entered intounless it vouchsafed to all American citizens, native born ornaturalized, and of whatever creed or origin, the same rightsof travel and sojourn in Russia as the United States has hereto-fore accorded to Russians without distinction of their origin orreligion.

Your Committee is watching events in Russia, and, in addi-tion to such meagre reports as appear in the American press,the Committee is availing itself of the news furnished byRussian newspapers, the most important of which are regularlyread at the office.

Several months ago the Committee received a cablegramfrom a reliable source, stating that there was great unrest andanxiety among the Jews of Russia, who feared the outbreak ofviolence against them during the Russian Easter. Uponreceipt of this cablegram, your President addressed a communi-cation to the Department of State, requesting our Governmentto use its good offices to prevent these outbreaks.

IMMIGRATION

Despite the unqualified disapproval of similar measuresby three presidents of the United States, a bill providing for


the restriction of immigration by means of a literacy test wasintroduced at the beginning of the present session of Congress,and has passed the House of Kepresentatives by a very largemajority.

As in past years, your Committee endeavored to voice theopposition of the Jews of this country to this measure, and onJanuary 20, 1916, your President appeared before the HouseCommittee on Immigration, and urged the elimination of theliteracy test from the bill, or at least amending it so thatimmigrants who are fleeing from religious persecution shallnot be subject to the literacy test.

Your Committee begs to report that, while it was not pos-sible to have the literacy test entirely eliminated, there havebeen incorporated several modifications which make clearer itsintent and slightly mitigate its rigor.

For several years past your Committee has endeavored tohave an adequate exemption clause for religious and politicalrefugees inserted in the various immigration bills which havebeen introduced in Congress. These bills generally includeda proviso to the effect that aliens, who were able to prove to thesatisfaction of the Secretary of Labor that they were comingsolely because fleeing from religious persecution, were to beexempt from the operation of the literacy test. While yourCommittee has always opposed and still opposes the literacytest, yet, in view of the fact that the Committee on Immigra-tion and Naturalization of the House of Representatives indi-cated its purpose to adopt that test, your Committee advocatedthe amendment of the exemption clause so as to read as fol-lows:

That the following classes of persons shall be exemptfrom the operation of the illiteracy test, to wit: all aliens


who shall prove to the satisfaction of the proper immigra-tion officials or to the Secretary of Labor that they are seek-ing admission to the United States to avoid religious orpolitical persecution, -whether such persecution be evidencedby overt acts or by discriminatory laws or regulations.

This clause has been substantially adopted as a part of thebill by the House Committee on Immigration.

At the suggestion of your Committee also, the following pro-vision was inserted in Section 9 of the bill, which providespenalties for steamship companies which bring over aliens whomay be excluded under the immigration laws:

That nothing contained in this section shall be construedto subject transportation companies to a fine for bringingto ports of the United States aliens who are by any of theprovisions or exemptions to section three hereof exemptedfrom the excluding provisions of said section.

Section 3 referred to contains the exemption from theliteracy test quoted above.

During the debate on the bill, the following amendment wasintroduced and adopted by the House of Eepresentatives:

That whenever any foreign country shall, by statute,executive order, or otherwise, exclude from its territoryany class or classes of citizens of the United States upongrounds different from the grounds for excluding aliensfrom the United States herein specified, the same class orclasses of aliens residing in such country shall be excludedfrom the United States, so long as such exclusion of UnitedStates citizens continues.

The President of your Committee immediately sent thefollowing telegram to several of the members of Congress:

Humphrey amendment to immigration bill, providing forreciprocal exclusion, is destructive of every American tradi-


tion. It violates the doctrine of expatriation, to which weare wedded and which has been recognized in the platformsof all of the political parties. It interferes with the rightof asylum, which has been a cherished American doctrine.So far as the Russian Jew is concerned it will exclude himaltogether, because Russia has steadfastly forbidden Amer-ican Jews to enter her domain even though they bear anAmerican passport. She persists in this contention not-withstanding the abrogation by a unanimous vote of Con-gress of the treaty of 1832, and has thus far failed tonegotiate a new treaty; consequently the class of immi-grants who are conceded to occupy an exceptional positionbecause of the persecution and discrimination to whichthey are subjected would find the doors of opportunityclosed to them. This amendment should therefore berejected, and in any event so qualified as to prevent itfrom becoming the medium of injustice and cruelty.

This resulted in a reconsideration of the provision quotedand the insertion of the words " contiguous to the UnitedStates " after the word " country " in the beginning of theamendment, and of the word " contiguous " before the word" country " at the end of the amendment, so that it would beclearly understood that the amendment refers only to theDominion of Canada and Mexico.

As the matter now stands, the bill has passed the House ofEepresentatives, and is ready for action by the Senate at thenext session of the present Congress.

BUREAU OF STATISTICS AND EESEARCH

Your Committee reports with sorrow the death on January30, 1916, of the Director of the Bureau of Statistics, Dr.Joseph Jacobs. At a meeting of the sub-Committee on Bureauof Statistics held on February 9, 1916, the following resolutionwas adopted:


The Bureau of Jewish Statistics and Research of theAmerican. Jewish Committee has learned with profoundsorrow of the death on January 30, 1916, of Joseph Jacobs,the organizer and Director of the Bureau of Statistics, andit here records an expression of its sense of loss.

Skilled as a mathematician and with a practical turnof mind, Dr. Jacobs was one of the first to employ statisticsfor biological and anthropological investigations, and hewas practically the founder of Jewish statistics upon anyorderly basis.

Besides his prominence in the statistical field, Dr. Jacobswas an historian, an authority on folk-lore, an essayist, anda critic.

Friends and co-workers of Dr. Jacobs will ever rememberhim for the charm and sweetness of his personality, andfor the graceful affability with which at all times hedelighted in sharing his knowledge with all who came incontact with him.

Dr. Samson D. Oppenheim was appointed as the successorto Dr. Jacobs, and took office on August 1. A report of thework done and projected by the Bureau will be presentedlater. I t should be noted that this Bureau is carried on inco-operation with the New York Foundation.

CASE OF A MIDSHIPMAN

Several months ago it came to the knowledge of your Com-mittee that a Jewish student at the U. S. Naval Academy atAnnapolis had been recommended for dismissal by the Superin-tendent of the Academy, although there was grave doubt as tothe justice of the Superintendent's action. Your Committeehad the matter investigated on the spot, learned that thecharge against the midshipman was unfounded, and had thecase reported to the Secretary of the Navy. Subsequently the


Superintendent of the Academy withdrew the recommendationfor the midshipman's dismissal.

OTTOMAN JEWS IN MEXICO

At the request of the Federation of Oriental Jews, yourCommittee took up with the Department of State the protec-tion of Ottoman Jews in Vera Cruz, there being no representa-tive of the Ottoman Government in that place, and the Depart-ment has given the necessary instructions for their protectionby United States Consular officers.

" JEWISH DISABILITIES IN THE BALKAN STATES "

Your Committee has entered into an arrangement with theAmerican Jewish Historical Society for securing an extra edi-tion of a valuable work on Jewish Disabilities in the BalkanStates, with special reference to Koumania, by Hon. SimonWolf and Max J. Kohler, Esq.

The Committee's edition consists of 500 copies which arebeing distributed in such quarters as the Committee deemsthey may have influence in forming public opinion.

ASSISTANCE FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS ABROAD

Your Committee has continued to assist American citizensof the Jewish faith who needed the good offices of our Govern-ment in order to communicate with or facilitate the departureof relatives who were formerly residents of the United States,but who, due to the war, were unable to depart from variousbelligerent countries.

Your Committee wishes again to acknowledge the manycourtesies extended to it by the Department of State. Mention


must also be made of the valuable cooperation of the representa-tive of the Committee in Washington, Mr. Fulton Brylawski,who is giving a great deal of his time and energy to a num-ber of matters of this kind, which are being referred to him bythis Committee and also by the Joint Distribution Committeeof the several Jewish war relief committees. '

CORRESPONDENCE WITH " HARPER'S WEEKLY "

On April 15, 1916, there appeared in Harper's Weekly aneditorial entitled "Jews and the Immigration Bill" whichcontained a number of statements which attacked your Com-mittee by implication. The editorial follows:

JEWS AND THE IMMIGRATION BILL

The Jews have been carrying on an unwise politicalcampaign in "Washington to have the words "includingHebrew and Yiddish" put in the literacy clause of theimmigration bill. " Any language or dialect" of courseincludes Hebrew and Yiddish. What then lay behind sostrenuous a campaign to get the words in? What laybehind it was the point of view of those who may be calledpolitical Jews. They are as a class out of sympathy withimaginative racial unity, such as is represented by Zionism,but they like unity of action for political purposes. Thevery leaders who attack Zionism foster this politicalfactionalism.

There will be exactly the same problem raised if wenegotiate a trade treaty with Russia, as Mr. Francis seemswell equipped to do. There will be a howl to insert after thewords " American citizens " the words " including Jews,"adding nothing, but making it harder for Russia to acceptthe treaty.

A recent book, called " The Jews in the Eastern WarZone," is very ably put together, but it shows this sameunfair attitude toward Russia. It deals almost exclusively


with what happened before August, 1915, and it carefullyrefrains from showing the attitude of the Duma towardthe Jews after the liberal bloc gained ascendancy. It quotes,as expressions of the Russian Government, statements madein the Duma, regardless of what group made them. It isnot a fair presentation of the case.

Who could tell from the Jewish anti-Russian propagandain this country that the group now dominant in the Dumafavors for the Jews all privileges except two? Perhapsmany will want to argue that those two should be grantedon the instant also, but at least the facts should be stated.One of the restrictions is on land purchase, to discouragespeculation during the period when the peasant is passingfrom communal to individual ownership. The other hasto do with high official positions. Higher education, free-dom in professions, restriction of the Jewish press and theentire abolition of the pale are features of the program.The progressive bloc obtained control, last August, of boththe Imperial Duma and the Imperial Council. If it is unableto put this program into effect after a victorious war it willbe in no small degree due to the feeling kept alive by theAmerican Jews, the most politically active of whom arepro-German in sympathy.

Words wholly redundant and needlessly critical of Russiahave no place either in the immigration bill or in the hoped-for treaty.

When this editorial was called to the attention of the Presi-dent of your Committee, he addressed a reply to the editor ofHarper's Weekly, which was published in that journal on May13, under the title " The Jews and Immigration." This replyfollows:

Permit me to call attention to a series of errors and mis-conceptions contained in the article entitled " The Jews andthe Immigration Bill," which appeared in Harper's Weeklyof the 15th instant.


1. You say that " the Jews have been carrying on an un-wise political campaign in "Washington to have the words' including Hebrew and Yiddish' put into the literacy clauseof the Immigration Bill."

As one who has taken an active part in the severalcampaigns waged against the literacy test, I can say thatyou are misinformed. In each of the immigration billsembodying the literacy test, those responsible for themeasure, of their own accord and without urgency on thepart of the Jews, from considerations of fairness and justice,expressly declared ability to read Hebrew and Yiddish toconstitute a compliance with the test. The reason is obvious.The Jews of Russia and Roumania, a large percentage ofwhom are able to read Hebrew and Yiddish, have been pre-vented by restrictive laws from attendance at schools wherethe national languages of those countries may be acquired.By many Hebrew is not regarded as a living language, andYiddish is not a dialect of the Russian or Roumanialanguages. The clause to which you now object was there-fore inserted in the bill by its framers out of abundance ofcaution. It was an act in every way creditable, and hashitherto been free from criticism.

2. You intimate that there has been a strenuous campaignto procure the insertion of these words in the bill by " thosewho may be called political Jews," who, you say, " attackedZionism to foster political factionalism."

To those initiated in Jewish movements such a remark isunspeakably humorous. The Jews who have fought theliteracy test have avoided political factionalism, and havebased their contention solely on American ideals. The Jewsto whom you apparently refer have urged that, if a literacytest were adopted, which they deplored, it should neverthe-less exempt from its operation those who come to the UnitedStates to avoid religious and political persecution, whethersuch persecution be evidenced by overt acts or by laws orgovernmental regulations that discriminate against them.This provision merely recognizes the right of asylum which


it has been the proud privilege of the American people tomaintain. It is quite possible that this provision may oper-ate in favor of the Russian and Roumanian Jews. I canscarcely deem it conceivable, however, that you would favorthe closing of the doors of opportunity to them, if they comehere to avoid religious persecution.

3. You say that if Mr. Francis negotiates a trade treatywith Russia, " there will be a howl to insert after the words' American citizens' the words ' including Jews,' addingnothing but making it harder for Russia to accept thetreaty."

You have apparently forgotten that, in January, 1912,with but one dissenting vote, both houses of Congress passeda Joint Resolution, which was approved by President Taft,which terminated the treaty of commerce and navigationbetween the United States and Russia, which had been inexistence for eighty years, solely because Russia discrimi-nated against American citizens of the Jewish persuasion.Since then the Republican, the Democratic, and the Pro-gressive parties, in their platforms, have declared that notreaty should be entered into with any government whichdid not expressly provide that it should be applicable toall American citizens, irrespective of race, creed, and pre-vious nationality, and which did not recognize the Americandoctrine of the right of expatriation.

The Jews will not howl for the insertion in any tradetreaty with Russia of words referring explicitly to them.They will, however, insist that the noble attitude of theAmerican people, which abhors a differentiation betweenAmerican citizens on the score of race, religion, or nation-ality, shall not be forgotten, but that in general terms anytreaty that shall be entered into with Russia shall containwords declaratory of the principles recognized by the greatpolitical parties of this country. As has been frequentlysaid, this is an American and not a Jewish question.

4. After referring in words of praise to the book called".The Jews in the Eastern War Zone," you say that it showsan unfair attitude toward Russia.


Why? Not because it does not present a true statement offact, or because the story of atrocities and oppressions whichit unfolds is over-drawn, or because of the authority uponwhich it is based. That would be impossible, because thereis not a statement which it contains which does not emanatefrom Russian sources, from members of the Duma, fromthose who are patriotic Russians.

Your criticism is that it deals almost exclusively withwhat happened before August, 1915, and quotes as expres-sions of the Russian Government statements made in theDuma, regardless of who made them. The book waswritten and went to press shortly after August, 1915. Itcould not therefore deal with a situation which may or maynot have arisen subsequent to that date. By inference youadmit the truth of all that is stated to have occurred beforeAugust, 1915. It is not pretended that there has been anychange in the laws of Russia or in its governmental regula-tions relative to the Jews, since August, 1915. There stillexists the same restraint upon education, the same prohibi-tion against the ownership of land, the same limitationupon the right of occupation, the same laws with respectto the maintenance of the unspeakable Pale.

You intimate that the progressive bloc obtained in Augustlast, control of both the Imperial Duma and the ImperialCouncil, and that the features of its program are the abro-gation of the cruel and restrictive laws which have groundthe Jews of Russia into the very mud. This program is allin the air. It is merely promissory. Even if the Duma andthe Council should unite in affirmative legislation to carryit into effect, what earnest is there that the Imperial Gov-ernment will approve of it? Is not the Duma itself subjectto prorogation by that power, and has it not been dismissedover and over again whenever an attempt has been madeto relieve the condition of those who are oppressed?

You are in error in saying that the book to which you havereferred has ignored the liberal attitude of the Duma. Onthe contrary, seven pages of it are taken up with the pro-tests of the Duma against the treatment which has been


accorded to the Jews during the present war, and threepages are occupied with an abstract of the noble speech ofBaron Rosen in the Council of the Empire in favor of ahumane attitude.

You declare: "If it (the progressive bloc) is unable toput this program into effect after a victorious war it willbe in no small degree due to the feeling kept alive by theAmerican Jews, the most politically active of whom arepro-German in sympathy."

Permit me again to say that you are misinformed. ThoseAmerican Jews who are responsible for this book, whowere engaged in the campaign for the abrogation of theRussian treaty, who are seeking to protect their brethrenfrom oppression, are not, with but few exceptions, pro-German in sympathy. They are strictly neutral between thebelligerents, so far as their public attitude is concerned.Privately many of them are strongly pro-Ally in their senti-ments. They are not, however, deterred by threats likethose which have been the Russian stock-in-trade for thepast thirty years. They will continue to inform the worldof the treatment to which their brethren are subjected.They will not cease to defend the integrity of Americancitizenship. Nor will they permit themselves to be fed bypromises as to what may or may not be done in the remotefuture.

The Russian Government could tomorrow convert all theJews of the world into friends and well-wishers, if itemancipated the Jews from the oppression to which theyhave been subjected, and are to-day subjected, at its hands.The Jews have entire confidence in the people of Russia,but so far as the Government of Russia is concerned, itsrecord constitutes one black page of persecution. "When thatshall have been obliterated, and the Jews of Russia shallbe accorded the rights of manhood, it will not be necessaryfor a " journal of civilization" to make propaganda forRussia. The Jews themselves would herald her act ofjustice throughout the ends of the earth.

Louis MARSHALL.

R E P O R T O F AMERICAN J E W I S H COMMITTEE 4 7 3

MEMBERSHIP

Messrs. Levi Rothenberg of Meridian, Miss., James Davis ofChicago, 111., and S. Marcus Fechheimer of Cincinnati, 0., whowere elected to membership at your annual meeting haveagreed to serve. Upon nomination of the Central JewishCouncil of Denver, Meyer Friedman, Esq., was elected a mem-ber to succeed the late David S. Lehman.

At the special meeting of the Committee, the followingreport presented by a sub-Committee on membership, appointedby the Executive Committee, was adopted:

The membership of the American Jewish Committee is at pres-ent composed of the following classes:

1. Representatives of the Jewish population of the countrydivided into fourteen districts. These members are elected bycommunities or chosen at the annual meetings of the AmericanJewish. Committee.

2. Representatives of national organizations chosen by theorganizations.

3. Members-at-large chosen at the annual meetings of the Amer-ican Jewish Committee.

It is proposed that the number of members of the AmericanJewish Committee be fixed tentatively at 200. This number maybe enlarged at any meeting of the whole Committee, provided thatdue notice is given.

A. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH POPULATION OF THE COUNTRY

Three classes of representatives under this heading are providedfor:

1. From States with 10,000 population and less: that is, onerepresentative is assigned to every State irrespective of its Jewishpopulation.

2. From States with a population of 25,000 or more, but notcounting the cities' population of such States: that is, for every15,000 of Jewish population in a State above 10,000, one representa-


tive is assigned (not counting the population of cities with a Jew-ish population of over 20,000 each).

3. From cities with a population of 20,000 or more: that is, onerepresentative is allotted for the first 20,000, a second representa-tive for the next 25,000, a third for the next 30,000, a fourth forthe next 35,000, a fifth for the next 40,000, a sixth for the next45,000, and one for each additional 50,000 thereafter.

B. REPRESENTATIVES OF JEWISH NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Each Jewish national organization shall have one representativefor members up to 10,000, a second representative for the next20,000, a third for the next 25,000, a fourth for the next 30,000,a fifth for the next 35,000, a sixth for the next 40,000, a seventh forthe next 45,000, and so on, at the same ratio.

The representatives of national organizations shall be chosenby the organizations themselves, and in such manner as theorganizations may determine. It shall be recommended, however,that the choice of the representatives of national organizations tothe American Jewish Committee be ratified at the general meet-ings of the national organizations.

C. MEMBEBS-AT-LAEGE

Members-at-large may be chosen from any part of the country;also from such communities as elect their representatives to theAmerican Jewish Committee.

NOTE 1

The following cities will be entitled to representatives in addi-tion to the representatives for the States in which they aresituated:Baltimore 2 Newark 1Boston 1 New Haven 1Buffalo 1 New York City 22Chicago 6 Philadelphia 5Cincinnati 1 Pittsburgh 1Cleveland 2 San Francisco 1Detroit 1 St. Louis 1 46


NOTE 2

The following States and Territories, not having Jewish centersof 20,000 or over, are entitled to only one representative each:

Alabama 1Arkansas 1Arizona 1Delaware 1District of Columbia 1FloridaIdahoIndianaIowaKansasLouisiana . . . . . .MaineMississippiMontanaNevadaNew Hampshire

New Mexico 1North Carolina 1North Dakota 1Oklahoma 1Oregon 1

1 South Carolina 11 South Dakota 11 Tennessee 11 Texas 11 Utah 11 Vermont 11 Virginia 11 Washington 11 West Virginia 11 Wyoming 11

NOTE 3

The following States have a Jewish population (exclusiveof the population in large cities) in excess of 10,000, and areentitled to representatives as noted in addition to the cityrepresentatives:

MinnesotaMissouri

California 1Colorado 1Connecticut 1Georgia 1Illinois 1Kentucky 1Maryland 1Massachusetts 2Michigan 1

11

Nebraska 1New Jersey 3New York 4Ohio 1Pennsylvania 1Rhode Island 1Wisconsin 1

31

24

101


With a view to putting these recommendations into effect,your Executive Committee adopted the following resolutions:

1. That the membership of the American Jewish Com-mittee shall not be reduced in any city or State, in ac-cordance with the report adopted, until a new estimate ofthe Jewish population in the various cities and States shallbe secured.

2. That, with a view to filling vacancies in States, corre-spondence be entered into with the National Conference ofJewish Charities for the purpose of securing for the timebeing the services of Dr. Boris D. Bogen, its Field Secretary,who, under the guidance of a Special Committee, shall enterupon negotiations with representative Jews in the variousStates, for the purpose of having them select and recom-mend to this Committee for election to membership suitablerepresentatives from these States.

3. That, Dr. Boris D. Bogen be likewise requested toenter into communication with National Jewish Organiza-tions with a view to obtaining their adhesion in the mannerset forth in the general plan adopted by the Committee.

Your Committee nominates the following persons for mem-bers-at-large for this year:

Herman Bernstein, New York City.Nathan Bijur, New York City.S. Marcus ITechheimer, Cincinnati.Herbert Friedenwald, Denver.Albert D. Lasker, Chicago.Irving Lehman, New York City.Jacob M. Loeb, Chicago.Henry Morgenthau, New York City.Oscar S. Straus, New York City.Moses E. Walter, Baltimore.Alfred W. Weil, New Haven.


FINANCES

A statement of the receipts from the various districts follows:Annual andSustaining Contributing

District Members Members TotalI $100.00 $9.00 $109.00II 126.00 18.00 144.00III 150.00 65.50 215.50IV 25.00 137.00 162.00V 71.00 71.00

VI 195.00 95.50 290.50VII 1,290.00 138.10 1,428.10

VIII 105.00 191.00 296.00IX 750.00 137.00 887.00X 190.00 71.00 261.00

XI 398.66 52.00 450.66XII 6,315.00 232.00 6,547.00

XIII 55.00 58.00 113.00XIV 197.00 167.00 364.00

$9,896.66 $1,442.10 $11,338.76

A statement of receipts and expenditures follows:

INCOME

Balance on hand, November 1, 1915 $3,632.12Contributing Members $1,452.10Sustaining Members 10,823.01 12,275.11

Total to be accounted for $15,907.23


DISBURSEMENTS

New York Office:Salaries $4,199.34Postage 391.55Books and Periodicals 171.62Stationery and Printing:

Ninth Annual Report $354.95Miscellaneous 405.80

760.75Telephone and Telegraph 384.51Engrossing 75.00Press Clipping Service 140.00Office Furniture 129.53Multigraph Machine and Equipment 209.07General Expense 106.57Rent 300.00

$6,867.94Ninth Annual Meeting $205.70Special Meeting, May 14, 1916 200.15Bureau of Statistics 2,000.00Transportation 362.84Information Bureau on Jews and the W a r . . . . 2,790.30Memorandum on Jewish Disabilities 1,444.44

7,003.43

Total Disbursements $13,871.37Balance Unexpended 2,035.86

$15,907.23FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Cash.Petty Cash Fund $50.00Balance with Treasurer 1,780.65Union Exchange National Bank 205.21

$2,035.86Balance in Income and Expenditure Account... $2,035.86


Following is an account of the receipts and expenditures inconnection with, the publication of the book " The Jews in theEastern War Zone " :

INCOME

Appropriated from Emergency Trust Fund . . . $5,000.00Sundry Contributions 115.00Received from Sales 6.40

$5,121.40

EXPENDITURES

Printing 25,000 Copies of Book, CircularLetters, Cards, Labels, Etc., andMailing $2,631.05

Postage 1,030.60Addressing 199.77Miscellaneous 14.38

Total $3,875.80Balance in Fifth National Bank 1,245.60

$5,121.40

During the year an experiment was made on a small scale toincrease the contributing membership of the Committee bysoliciting the support of persons whose names were suggestedto the Committee by others who are already contributing mem-bers. The result of this experiment was encouraging. Theoperations of the Committee could be carried on upon a largerscale and more effectively if adequate funds were provided.

ACTION ON THE EEPOET, ETC.

Upon motion the report of the Executive Committee wasreceived and the President was authorized to prepare it forpublication.

1 G


The report of the Statistical Bureau was presented andaccepted. Eev. Dr. H. Pereira Mendes suggested that theBureau of Statistics be requested to collect statistics referringto Jewish defectives, such as deaf mutes, blind, etc.

Mr. Louis E. Levy, President of the Jewish Community ofPhiladelphia, gave a brief report of the work of that organi-zation and stated that he would present a formal report forpublication after the annual Convention of the Jewish Com-munity, which is to be held on November 19, 1916.

Dr. J . L. Magnes, Chairman of the Executive Committee ofthe Jewish Community of New York City, made a verbalreport of the work of that organization during the past year,and stated that he would present a formal report in time forpublication.

PLACE OF ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING

Communications were read from the Chamber of Com-merce of the city of Philadelphia, and from the Chamber ofCommerce of the city of Providence, inviting the AmericanJewish Committee to hold its next annual meeting in thosecities. Mr. Isaac W. Frank presented a similar invitation onbehalf of the city of Pittsburgh, and Judge Julian W. Mackon behalf of the city of Chicago. After discussion it wasdecided that the eleventh annual meeting of the American Jew-ish Committee be held in the city of Chicago, and that theChambers of Commerce of the cities of Philadelphia andProvidence be thanked for their courtesy and be informed ofthe action of the committee.


ELECTIONS

The Committee on Nominations made the following report:For officers:

For President: Louis Marshall.For Vice-Presidents: Cyrus Adler and Julius Bosenwald.For Treasurer: Isaac W. Bernheim.

For members of the Executive Committee to serve for threeyears from January 1, 1917:

Harry Cutler, Louis Marshall,Jacob H. Hollander, Isador Sobel.

To fill expired terms or vacancies caused by resignations:District I.

District III.

District V.

District VII.

District VIII.

District XI.

District XIII.

District XIV.

Ceasar Cone, Greensboro, N. C, to be re-elected for term expiring 1921.

Isaac H. Kempner, Galveston, Texas, to bere-elected for term expiring 1921.

Max C. Sloss, San Francisco, Calif., to bere-elected for term expiring 1921.

W. B. Woolner, Peoria, 111., to be re-electedfor term expiring 1921.

J. Walter Freiberg, Cincinnati, 0., to be re-elected for term expiring 1921.

Isaac M. Ullman, New Haven, Conn., andHarry Cutler, Providence, E. 1., to be re-elected for term expiring 1921.

Benjamin M. Marcus, Olean, N. Y., to bere-elected for term expiring 1921.

Felix Fuld, Newark, N. J., to succeed JosephGoetz of same city, for term expiring 1919.

Isador Sobel, Erie, Pa., to be re-elected forterm expiring 1921.


At Large. Herman Bernstein, Nathan Bijur, IrvingLehman, Henry Morgenthau, Oscar S.Straus, New York; S. Marcus Fechheimer,Cincinnati; Herbert Friedenwald, Denver;Albert D. Lasker and Jacob M. Loeb, Chi-cago ; Moses E. Walter, Baltimore; AlfredW. Weil, New Haven.

It was resolved that in District X, the vacancy caused by theresignation of Dr. Harry Friedenwald be referred to the localAdvisory Council of the American Jewish Committee.

There being no other nominations, the Assistant Secretarywas requested to cast one ballot for the nominees of the Com-mittee on Nominations, which he did, and announced theelection of the several nominees.

Upon motion, the meeting adjourned.

REPOET OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OFNEW YOEK CITY

TO THE MEMBERS OP THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE:

The New York Kehillah, has during the past year, carriedon most of its activities as heretofore, through its variousdepartments. As to new developments during the year Ihave the following to report:

With respect to Jewish education, a step forward has beentaken by reason of the establishment of the Florence MarshallMemorial Fund for the education of Jewish girls. Althoughthe fund was not established by Mr. Marshall in organic con-nection with the Bureau of Education of the Kehillah, it isa natural and logical outcome of the work of that Bureau,and the Board of Trustees of the fund have determinedthat for this year the fund shall be administered through


the agency of the Bureau of Education. It ought to beunnecessary to point out how vital is the Jewish education ofJewish girls. The Bureau has done pioneer work in this fieldand has laid the basis of a whole system of Jewish educationfor Jewish girls. It would seem to be in order that in otherlarge centers and even in smaller centers, Jewish educationof Jewish girls should be given the attention of the Jewishpopulation.

I should like to point out a remarkable state of affairs inPoland. On the one hand Jewish girls are not educated atall; on the other hand Jewish girls are given a thoroughPolish secular education. Most of the Jewish boys are givena Jewish education but no secular training at all. The resultis that in any number of families, the boys are educatedas Jews and the girls are either not educated at all or aregiven a thorough modern Polish education without anyJewish aspect whatever. The natural cleavage in the familyresulting from such a state of affairs must be apparent andthe loss to communal development is obviously stupendous.

In this country I think it clear that unless the Jewish girlssecure a thorough-going Jewish education, we shall not haveJewish homes, and unless Jewish girls are made to understandwhat Judaism means, we shall have a generation of men andwomen who are born Jews but who have nothing at all of theJewish tradition to serve them as an anchor. The Bureauof Education is prepared to make studies of the situation inother communities and is merely awaiting the initiative ofother centers.

Upon the initiative of the Kehillah, the Bureau of Philan-thropic Eesearch was established by the Council of CommunalJewish Institutions of the City of New York. On the man-


aging board of this Bureau, there are four representatives ofthe Kehillah out of nine. The Bureau has been organized inorder to study carefully, systematically, scientifically, thewhole philanthropic problem of the Jews in New York City.

At the instance of the Kehillah and as an outcome of theKehillah idea the School for Jewish Communal Work has beencreated for the training of Jewish communal workers. Wehave called it the school for Jewish communal work. Ourfundamental conception of the community is that our problemis more than a philanthropic problem, more than a socialproblem, that it is also a religious and educational and indus-trial problem. Our fundamental idea is that the communityas a community be brought more into foreground, that workbe done from the point of view of the whole community andnot from the viewpoint of any segment of it.

J. L. MAGNES,

Chairman, Executive Committee.

EBPOET OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OFPHILADELPHIA

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE :

Gentlemen:The following is a summary of the work of the Jewish Com-

munity of Philadelphia during the year 1915-1916:The Community is at present composed of 117 organizations.

The sixth annual meeting was held on Sunday, November 19,1916; the Executive Council presented its report of which thefollowing is an abstract:

Letters were sent to the various federal, state, county andcity authorities and to the heads of the public schools, giving


them a list of the holidays for the year and requesting leave ofabsence for employes or pupils desiring to be excused forreligious reasons. These letters elicited fayorable replies.

The Committee on Conciliation and Arbitration brought thedifferences with the Downtown Hebrew Day Nursery to asatisfactory adjustment. The religious and moral instructionof the Jewish prisoners in the Eastern Penitentiary is beingcontinued and it is proposed to extend this activity to the otherpenal institutions in and around Philadelphia.

A leave of absence in appropriate custody was secured fora Jewish sailor on the interned German cruiser Prinz EitelFriedrich, over Yom Kippur and Succoth.

The Committee on Immigration has given attention to thequestion before it and by frequent representations at Wash-ington has co-operated with other organizations in the effortto maintain the present liberal immigration policy of theUnited States.

The Board for the Supervision of Kashrut has had to sus-pend its activity during the past year owing to the lack ofeffective co-operation on the part of the rabbinical authorities.These in turn have been awaiting the presentation of anacceptable financial arrangement, which must for the presentbe postponed.

The Jewish Educational Board gives promise of eventualsuccess. There is need, however, of a special fund for theirpurpose, the raising of which is being hindered by the impera-tive demands on the Community made from abroad.

A movement for the organization of Jewish political clubscame to the public notice in Philadelphia during the recentpolitical campaign and through the opposition of the Com-munity, made effective by appeal to the party authorities, all


such organizations were discountenanced and the movementwas brought to a stop.

In view of the garbled statements regarding the Jewishholidays, that appear in the daily papers from time to time, acommittee has been appointed to prepare statements in properform to be furnished to the various newspapers of the city indue course.

Eespectfully submitted,Louis EDWARD LEVY,

President.

THIED ANNUAL EEPOET BUEEAU OF JEWISHSTATISTICS AND EESEAECH

The report of the work of this bureau naturally dividesitself into three parts: I. That from October, 1915, to Febru-ary, 1916, II. That from February, 1916, to July, 1916, andIII. That from July, 1916, to the present time.

I. Of the three principal subjects which at the committeemeeting of October 10, 1915, it was decided should engagethe attention of the bureau, only one was exhaustively treated,namely, the investigation of the number of Jews in the Army,Navy and National Guard of the United States. Letters weresent to, and replies received from 1500 officers, soldiers andsailors in the Army and Navy of the United States. Over 500replies were received reporting 2953 enlisted and commissionedJews in the regular U. S. forces. During this period con-siderable work was done in connection with the AmericanJewish Year Book. In addition numerous lists on the num-ber and membership of labor organizations, and various tradeswere prepared for the Bureau of Industry. Director Jacobsdied January 30, 1916.


II. During the second period the Army and Navy work wascompleted. Work similar to that in connection with the regu-lar army was prosecuted with regard to the National Guard,the method used being that of writing to prominent Jewishcitizens throughout the country, asking them to mail clippingsof the rosters of the National Guard, especially of the mobilizedunits, as a result of which the names of over 1000 Jewishsoldiers and officers of the volunteer National Guard wereobtained. About 200 French, German, Austrian and Italiannewspapers were read and the names of about 9000 Jews whoreceived military honors placed on file in the bureau. Thework on the American Jewish Year Book was completed.

III. Dr. Jacobs' successor was appointed July 24, 1916.This being vacation time, the work of the office was naturallya little in arrears. During the last week of July and themonth of August, this bureau was engaged mainly in assistingthe organization which was employed in doing preliminarystatistical and cataloging work for the Federation for the sup-port of Jewish Philanthropic Societies; our contribution beingmainly a digest of the by-laws of the other principal federa-tions. During the last two months the following details havemainly engaged the attention of the bureau:

Inquiries and Conferences on the Following Subjects: Secre-taries of all Jewish philanthropic federations; Number ofJewish inhabitants of each state of the Union; List of Jewishcharitable associations on the boards of which there are womenmembers; Lists of volunteer Jewish soldiers; Number of Jew-ish children of religious school age living in certain sectionsof Manhattan; Latest Jewish conditions in Eoumania; SouthAmerican Jews; Jewish collegiate amateur and professionalathletics; Minor philanthropic societies; Improved methods of


investigations as to Jewish Army and Navy officers and pri-vates ; Year Book and statistical policies; Statistics of Jewish©rime in New York; Jews in Labor Unions.

Distributions: Captain Landes' article on " Jews in theU. S. Army and Navy."

Initial work has been commenced in connection with thefollowing censuses:

Jewish prisoners throughout the prisons, penitentiaries,reformatories, etc., of New York State.

Jewish school children of New York City.Jewish Communal Workers in the United States.Eabbis of the United States.Jewish University students in the United States.

Eespectfully submitted,SAMSON D. OPPENHEIM,

Director.

ACT OP INCOKPORATION

LAWS OP NEW YORK.—By Authority

CHAPTER 16

AN ACT to incorporate the American Jewish Committee

Became a law March 16, 1911, with the approval of the Gov-ernor. Passed, three-fifths being present.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senateand Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Mayer Sulzberger, Julian W. Mack, JacobH. Hollander, Julius Rosenwald, Cyrus Adler, HarryCutler, Samuel Dorf, Judah L. Magnes, Jacob H. Schiff,Isador Sobel, Cyrus L. Sulzberger, A. Leo Weil, and Louis


Marshall, and their associates and successors, are herebyconstituted a body corporate, in perpetuity, under thename of the American Jewish Committee; and by thatname shall possess all of the powers which by the generalcorporation law are conferred upon corporations, andshall be capable of taking, holding and acquiring, by deed,gift, purchase, bequest, devise, or by judicial order ordecree, any estate, real or personal, in trust or otherwise,which shall be necessary or useful for the uses and pur-poses of the corporation, to the amount of three millionsof dollars.

Sec. 2. The objects of this corporation shall be, to pre-vent the infraction of the civil and religious rights ofJews, in any part of the world; to render all lawful assist-ance and to take appropriate remedial action in the eventof threatened or actual invasion or restriction of suchrights, or of unfavorable discrimination with respectthereto; to secure for Jews equality of economic, socialand educational opportunity; to alleviate the consequencesof persecution and to afford relief from calamities affect-ing Jews, wherever they may occur; and to compass theseends to administer any relief fund which shall come intoits possession or which may be received by it, in trust orotherwise, for any of the aforesaid objects or for purposescomprehended therein.

Sec. 3. The business and affairs of said corporation shallbe conducted by a board of not less than thirteen or morethan twenty-one, to be known as the Executive Committee,and the persons named in the first section of this act asincorporators, shall constitute the first Executive Com-mittee of said corporation. At the first meeting of said


Executive Committee held after the passage of this act, themembers thereof shall be divided into three classes, thefirst of which shall hold office until January first, nineteenhundred and twelve, the second for one year thereafter,and the third for two years thereafter, and such membersof said Executive Committee as may be thereafter added tosaid Committee shall in like manner be apportioned to saidthree classes. At the expiration of the term of any mem-ber of the Executive Committee his successor shall beelected for the term of three years. All vacancies whichmay occur in said Committee shall be filled until the ensu-ing election by said Committee. An annual election forthe members of said Executive Committee shall be held atsuch time and in such manner as shall be fixed by the By-Laws to be adopted by said Executive Committee. At allmeetings of the Executive Committee one-third of saidCommittee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction ofbusiness, but no By-Law shall be adopted, amended or re-pealed without the presence of a majority of the membersof said Committee for the time being; provided, however,that the By-Laws with respect to membership in the cor-poration shall not be altered, revised or amended exceptas provided in Section 4 of this act.

Sec. 4. The members of said corporation shall consistof the persons who shall be designated and chosen formembership by such method or methods and by suchorganizations, societies and nominating bodies as shall beprovided in By-Laws to be adopted for that purpose by theExecutive Committee, such By-Laws being however, sub-ject to alteration, revision or amendment at any regularmeeting of the members of the corporation or at a meeting

REPORT OF AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE

called for such purpose; provided that thirty days noticebe given of the proposed change and that such alteration,revision or amendment shall be carried by a majority of atleast twenty votes; and not otherwise.

Sec. 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

BY-LAWS

I. MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE

The members of the Corporation, who for purposes of con-venience shall be known as the General Committee, shallbe of three classes:

Class A. Eepresentatives of the Jewish population of thecountry.

Class B. Eepresentatives of National Jewish organizations.Class C. Members-at-large.

I I . MEMBERS OF CLASS A

Members of Class A shall be chosen from the several dis-tricts hereinafter enumerated and described as follows:

District I. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,Florida.

District I I . Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi.District I I I . Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Okla-

homa.District IV. Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado.District V. California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Idaho,

Nevada.District VI. Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana, Wyo-

ming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ne-braska, Michigan.


District VII. Illinois.District VIII. Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia.District IX. City of Philadelphia.District X. Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, District of

Columbia.District XI. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu-

setts, Connecticut, Rhode Island.District XII. New York City.District XIII. New York, exclusive of the city.District XIV. Pennsylvania, exclusive of Philadelphia, New

Jersey.

Members of Class A shall be elected for five years and shallbe apportioned in accordance with the Jewish populationof the various cities and states of the country as ascertainedfrom time to time by the Bureau of Jewish Statistics andResearch of the Committee, and in the ratio set forth in de-tail in the report adopted by the Committee on November12, 1916, provided, however, that the existing membershipof the Committee be not affected until such new apportion-ment shall have been made.

Wherever in any city there is an organized Jewish com-munity, that community shall have power to elect the repre-sentatives of such city and it shall in all cases be the duty ofthe Committee to endeavor to secure such methods of selec-tion as shall make the members as nearly as possible repre-sentative of the cities or states which form their constituency.

III. MEMBERS OP CLASS B

Members of Class B shall be chosen by the National Jewishorganizations for one year or until their successors are chosenin such manner as the organizations shall determine and to


such number as is set forth in detail in the report adopted onNovember 12, 1916, it being recommended that all selectionsfor membership in the American Jewish Committee made bythe national organizations be ratified at the next followinggeneral meeting of such organizations.

IV. MEMBERS OF CLASS C

Members of Class C shall be elected for one year at theannual meeting of the American Jewish Committee uponnomination of the Executive Committee thereof. This Classshall at no time exceed twenty in number.

V. OFFICERS

The officers of the General Committee shall be a President,two Vice-Presidents and a Treasurer, selected fro.m among themembers, and a Secretary who need not be a member of theGeneral Committee, and who shall be elected by the ExecutiveCommittee, unless otherwise ordered. The officers shall serve .for one year or until their successors are elected.

VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The General Committee shall elect not less than nine normore than seventeen members who together with the fourofficers, to wit, the President, Vice-Presidents and Treasurer,shall constitute the Executive Committee, one-third of themembership of which shall constitute a quorum for the trans-action of business.

The Executive Committee shall, whenever it shall deem itadvisable, report its proceedings or such part thereof as it shalldetermine to the members of the General Committee by mail,


and shall render a complete report of all matters consideredand acted upon, at the annual meeting of the committee.Special Committees may be designated by the Executive Com-mittee from the body of the General Committee, which SpecialCommittees shall report to the Executive Committee fromtime to time.

VII. MEETINGS

A stated meeting of the General Committee shall be heldannually on the second Sunday in November at the City ofNew York, unless the Executive Committee in their discretiondetermine otherwise. Special meetings shall be called uponthe written request of twenty-five members of the GeneralCommittee or may be called by the Executive Committee of itsown motion. Twenty-one members shall constitute a quorumof the General Committee.

Eegular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be heldat least once every three months. Special meetings of theExecutive Committee may be held at the instance of the chair-man or at the request of three members of that committee.

Notice of special meetings of the General Committee or ofthe Executive Committee shall be given by mail or telegraphto the members, stating as nearly as possible, within the dis-cretion of the Executive Committee, the purpose for whichthe meeting is called.

VIII. OFFICES

The principal office of the General Committee shall be estab-lished in the City of New York, and other offices and agenciesmay be established outside of New York as the General Com-mittee or the Executive Committee may from time to timedeem necessary.


IX. AMENDMENTS

These By-Laws, except as limited by the Charter, shall besubject to alteration, revision or amendment at any regularmeeting of the General Committee or at a meeting thereofcalled for such purpose, provided that thirty days notice begiven of the proposed change, and that the motion for amend-ment be carried by a majority of at least 20 votes.

ADVISOEY COUNCIL

I. GENERAL POWERS

1. There shall be organized in each district, in the mannerhereinafter provided, an Advisory Council for the followingpurposes:

2. To take such action as shall from time to time be ex-pressly delegated to it by the General or Executive Committees.

3. To report promptly to the General or Executive Com-mittees with respect to any subject that shall be referred to itfor information or investigation.

4. To consider such matters of Jewish interest as shall bebrought to its attention through any agency, and to make suchrecommendations thereon to the General or Executive Com-mittees as shall be deemed advisable, but in no case to initiate,authorize or take any action except as specially thereunto dele-gated as hereinbefore provided.

I I . MEMBERSHIP

1. On or before October 1, 1907, the members of the Gen-eral Committee from each district shall nominate to the Execu-tive Committee ten Jewish residents of such district for every


member of the General Committee allotted to said district, andupon confirmation of such nominations by the Executive Com-mittee, the persons so approved, together with the members ofthe General Committee from said district, shall constitute theAdvisory Council thereof. Should the Executive Committeereject any nominee, new nominations shall be submitted forapproval until the membership of the Advisory Council shallbe complete. The General Committee or the Executive Com-mittee may, by resolution adopted at any meeting, authorize anincrease of the membership of the Advisory Council of any dis-trict, in which case the additional members shall be chosen inthe manner hereinbefore provided, or their election or appoint-ment by such Advisory Council may be authorized.

2. Upon receiving notice of their selection members of theAdvisory Council of each district shall organize in the mannerdesignated by the members of the General Committee of eachdistrict. Each Council shall elect a chairman and such otherofficers as shall be deemed necessary. The members of saidcouncil other than those who are members of the General Com-mittee shall be allotted by the Secretary into five groups, whoshall hold office for one, two, three, four and five years, respect-ively, and thereafter elections shall be held annually by themembers of the Council to choose successors to those whoseterms shall have expired, for a term of five years. Meetingsof each Council shall be held from time to time as it shall byrule provide.

3. All vacancies occurring in the membership of the Ad-visory Council subsequent to the formation of the originalAdvisory Council of each district, shall be filled by election bythe Advisory Council of each district.


I I I . ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF GENERAL COMMITTEE

Vacancies in the General Committee shall be filled by theAdvisory Councils of the respective districts.

IV. EXPENSES

The expenses of administration of each Advisory Councilshall be borne by its district.

SUSTAINING MEMBERS

DISTRICT I

Ceasar Cone, Greensboro, N. C, $100.

DISTRICT I I

Federated Jewish Charities, Nashville, Tenn. (throughNathan Cohn), $100; Federation of Jewish Charities, Bir-mingham, Ala., $26.

DISTRICT I I I

Sam Davidson, Fort Worth, Texas, $10; Isaac Kempner,Galveston, Texas, $50; Louis Lipsitz, Dallas, Texas, $12;Maurice Stern, New Orleans, La., $100.

DISTRICT IV

H. Appleman, Kansas City, $5; Alfred Benjamin, KansasCity, $5; David Benjamin, Kansas City, $5; G. BernheimerBros., Kansas City, $5; L. G. Cohen, St. Louis, $10; JuliusDavidson, Kansas City, $5; Albert H. Ehrlich, St. Joseph, $5;H. A. Guettel, Kansas City, $5; A. Hess, Wichita, Kansas, $5 ;Frank Josephson, Kansas City, $5; H. W. Loeb, St. Louis, $5;


J . L. Lorie, Kansas City, $5; J. C. Beefer, Kansas City, $10;A. Reiger, Kansas City, $5; I. J. Bingolsky, Kansas City, $5;J. Bosenberger, Kansas City, $5; A. Rosenfield, Leavenworth,Kan., $5; G. I. Eosenzweig, Kansas City, $5; Al Eothenberg,Kansas City, $5; Nathan Schloss, Kansas City, $10; Sig.Stern, Kansas City, $10; Aaron Waldheim, St. Louis, Mo., $25.

DISTRICT VI

Henry J. Abrahams, Omaha, Neb., $5; Henry M. Butzel,Detroit, Mich., $50; Emanuel Cohen, Minneapolis, Minn.,$25; Jewish Charities, Omaha, Neb., $50; John Baum, GreenBay, Wis., $10; Simon Heller, Milwaukee, Wis., $5; MaxLandauer, Milwaukee, Wis., $50.

DISTRICT VII

A. G. Becker, Chicago, 111., $50; Chicago Sinai Cong., Chi-cago, 111., $250; James Davis, Chicago, 111., $50; Louis Eisen-drath, Chicago, 111., $25; Nathan Elson, Chicago, 111., $10;M. E. Greenebaum, Chicago, 111., $50; Bernard' Horwich,Chicago, 111., $50; Marcus Jacobowsky, Chicago, 111., $10;Albert D. Lasker, Chicago, 111., $100; Jacob M. Loeb, Chicago,111., $25; Julian W. Mack, Chicago, 111., $15; Alfred C. Meyer,Chicago, 111., $25; E. F. Meyer, Chicago, 111., $50; JuliusEosenwald, Chicago, 111., $500; Charles Shaffner, Chicago, 111.,$50; W. B. Woollier, Peoria, 111., $100.

DISTRICT VIII

Samuel Ach, Cincinnati, O., $5; Oscar Berman, Cincinnati,O., $5; Isaac W. Bernheim, Louisville, Ky., $100; Alfred Bett-man, Cincinnati, O., $5; George W. Harris, Cincinnati, O., $5;


Louis Horkheimer, Wheeling, W. Va., $5; Henry Jonap, Cin-cinnati, 0., $10; Maurice Joseph, Cincinnati, 0., $25; EdwardSenior, Cincinnati, 0., $10; Meyer Silverglade, Wyoming, 0.,$5; Jacob Speyer, Lexington, Ky., $5.

DISTRICT IX

Augustus A. Eshner, Philadelphia, Pa., $5; PhiladelphiaKehillah, $900.

DISTRICT X

Emil E. Berliner, Washington, D. C, $10; Sidney M. Cone,Baltimore, Md., $10; Abraham Eisenberg, Baltimore, Md.,$10; Mrs. Jane Friedenwald, Baltimore, Md., $10; Isaac Ham-burger & Son, Baltimore, Md., $10; A. Ray Katz, Baltimore,

" Md., $10; Benno Kohn, Baltimore, Md., $15 ; Martha F. (Mrs.Leon) Lauer, Baltimore, Md., $10; L. Lazarus, Lynchburg,Va., $10; William Levy, Baltimore, Md., $10; Henry Sonne-born, Baltimore, Md., $10; Siegmund B. Sonneborn, Balti-more, Md., $10; Charles Van Leer, Seaford, Del., $35; MosesR. Walter, Baltimore, Md., $25; Milton F. AVestheimer, Balti-more, Md., $10; Philip Whitlock, $5; Hiram Wiesenfeld, $10.

DISTRICT XI

Harry Cutler, Providence, R. L, $139.6?; Lee M. Friedman,Boston, Mass., $139.67; Isaac M. Ullman, New Haven, Conn.,$139.67.

DISTRICT XII (New York City)

Alexander Alexander, $10; Reuben Arkush, $10; AbrahamBenedict, $10; Charles L. Bernheim, $5; Nathan Bijur, $100;Sidney C. Borg, $100; Joseph L. Buttenweiser, $100; Abraham


Erlanger, $25; William Pischman, $15; Lee K. Frankel, $25;Joseph B. Greenhut, $100; Daniel Guggenheim, $1000; Mur-ray Guggenheim, $500; A. M. Heinsheimer, $200; AdolphLewisohn, $1000; Frederick Lewisohn, $100; Louis Marshall,$500; Samuel Sachs, $150; William Saloman, $250; LeonSanders, $10; Samuel Schafer, $100; Mortimer L. Schiff,$250; Jacob H. Schiff, $1000; Isaac N". Seligman, $200; Jeffer-son Seligman, $100; Bernard Semel, $10; Leopold Stern,$100; Cyrus L. Sulzberger, $100; Israel Unterberg, $25; FelixM. Warburg, $150; Paul M. Warburg, $100; Jacob Wertheim,$100.

DISTRICT XII I

Isaac Adler, Eochester, 1ST. Y., $5; Simon Fleischmann,Buffalo, N". Y., $5; Abram J. Katz, Eochester, 1ST. Y., $25; 'Louis I. Waldman, Albany, N. Y., $15; Julius M. Wile, Eoch-ester, N. Y., $10; Sol. Wile, Eochester, N. Y., $10.

DISTRICT XIV

Samuel Auerhaim, Bradford, Pa., $10; David Benjamin,Hazleton, Pa., $10; Leon Falk, Pittsburgh, Pa., $25; Isaac W.Frank, Pittsburgh, Pa., $53.50; Joseph Goetz, Newark, N. J.,$25; D. C. Greenwald, Bradford, Pa., $5; S. Halpern,Hoboken, N. J., $5; Max Hertz, Newark, N. J., $5; Joseph H.Eubin, McKeesport, Pa., $10; Isador Sobel, Erie, Pa., $50;A. Leo Weil, Pittsburgh, Pa., $53.50.

Documents

TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE · TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ... Leonard Haas, Atlanta ... Lee M